Textile printing apparatus



5, 1943. A JONES TEXTILE PRINTING- APPARATUS Filed ma 6, 1944 I-I WIAIIH.

' Algefl; Jones Fascism, 1946 Albert S. Jones, Dudley, Mass, Cranston Print Works asslgnor to Company, Cranston,

It. 1., a eorporatlon of Rhode Island Application May 6, 1944, Serial No. 534,400-

i This invention relates to textile printing apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for washing and drying the blanket which normally travels through the printing zone with the fabric to be printed. I

For certain textile printing operations, the fabric is accompanied through the printer by both a 7 Claims. (c1. 101-425) back gray cloth and a rubber blanket, the latter serving asa cushion and the cloth serving to receive the excess of color that passes through the fabric as well as the color printed thereon by the ends of the printing roll that extend beyond the fabric. Various problems have been involved in this use of a back gray cloth, and particularly because of the dimculties and expense incident to washing it at frequent intervals or continuously to remove the color therefrom. But if the back gray is omitted, then provision should be made for cleaning the color from the blanket. This color may accumulate on the blanket and interfere with the printing operation, orthe blanket may become so caked with the material as to cause it to crack and ultimately require that it be discarded. It is, therefore, desirable to wash the blanket, and for this purpose it has men proposed to pass it continuously as an endless strip from the printing zone to washing and drying apparatus and then return it to the printer.

One proposed washing operation involves scrubbing the blanket with water or a suitable solvent by means of rotary brushes which remove the surface coating, after which the washed blanket passes between wringing rolls and thence around a set of heated drying drums to remove the remaining water. This type of construction has required a long run of blanket. Moreover, the drying apparatus has been expensive both to install and to maintain in use. Equally important is the desirability of not exposing the rubber material to contact with the steam heated surface of a drying drum or to high temperature air currents derived from heating coils, owing to the rapid deterioration of the rubber which renders it unsuitable for textile printing purposes.

The primary object of my invention is to overcome such problems and to provide a simplified and economical textile printing apparatus which will serve to print a fabric while continuously washing and drying the backing strip employed as an aid for the printing operation.

A further object is to provide a textile printing apparatus which includes a washing and drying mechanism for an endless backing strip, in winch the strip may be cuickly and satisfactorily dried as it travels continuously and progressively to the printing zone without its being subjected to a high or detrimental temperature. Further ob- Jects will be apparent in the following disclosure.

Referring to the drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of this invention: A

- Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic elevational view of a printing machine and the associated washing and drying apparatus employed for cleaning the backing strip; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged view of the washing and drying apparatus.

In accordance with my invention, I propose to 1 pass a comparatively short and endless backing strip, such as a, rubber blanket, through the printing zone with the fabric and then continuously wash the color from the strip and dry the latter in a low temperature drying operation. In

this construction, the backing strip is subjected to the washing operation and then has the excess of water or washing compound removed therefrom by a blotting and wiping action and not by direct evaporation under high temperature conditions. That is, the blotting is accomplished by means of' a separate strip of blotting material, and preferably an endless strip of cloth, which contacts with the washed backing strip for a sufflcient period of time to absorb the moisture therefrom. That moisture taken up by the b1otter may be subsequently removed therefrom by -meanS of heated drying drums or other drying apparatus and the blotter may be returned for further removal of water from the backing strip.

The apparatus illustrated in the drawing comprises a printing machine it arranged to print a fabric ll drawn from a suitable supply roll it. A backing strip or endless blanket it passes through the printing zone with the fabric. This blanket may be made of various materials, such as rubber or rubberized cloth, which has a suitable surface for carrying ink that passes through the fabric as well as the bands of ink applied by the printing rolls adjacent to its edges. The

blanket is drawn through the printing zone by the printing machine itself, which is quite feasible owing to the short length of the blanket employed in this arrangement. The printing machine may be of standard construction. As

illustrated, it comprises a, set of printing rolls arranged for a, multi-color printing operation. Each roll is suitably carried on aslide it mounted in a slideway on the frame it ofthe machine and held in place by a pressure screw I8. The print 'rolls may be driven by an electric motor l9 suitably connected thereto, as by means of a star 3 gear meshing with gears on the print roll shafts. The fabric H may be carried over suitable straightener rolls and tension rolls and a rotary brush in accordance with the usual or desired arrangement for the purpose of presenting the fabric properly to the printing rolls.

In the arrangement illustrated, a blanket is used without a back gray cloth. The blanket id is endless and it travels continuously through the printing zone, by means of suitably positioned rolls. After leaving the printing zone, it passes upwardly over guide rolls 22 and 23 and thence to a washing apparatus 2% of suitable construction adapted to remove'the color from the surface of the blanket.

This washing apparatus may comprise a steel roll 25 (Fig. 2) having a cylindrical surface about which the blanket passes. This cylinder 25 is mounted on a driving shaft and power driven by a belt 26 passing from a pulley 21 on a shaft which drives the fabric drying drums and which is in turn driven by the electric motor is. The blanket may have a spray of water or a washing solution applied thereto by a spray nozzle 28 prior to its reaching the apparatus 2E. A further spray nozzle 29 may apply the washing solution or water to the blanket as it passes around the roll 25. A rotary scrubbing brush 30 having a surface of bristles of suitable material is rotated positively against the wet surface of the blanket. This rotary brush is suitably mounted on a driving shaft and rotated by means of a belt 3i carried by a pulley on the shaft of the cylinder 25. The brush may be mounted on a spring pressed pivoted'support 32-which holds the brush against the blanket on the roll 25. Another rotary brush 33 may be likewise pivotally mounted below the cylinder and similarly power driven by a belt drive 35. Each of these brushes is driven in the opposite direction to that of the travel of the blanket so as to exert a scrubbing action on the wet surface of the blanket. The

spray pipe 29. supplies water for the second washing operation. The blanket may be again rinsed, if desired, by a further spray. After this step, the blanket passes between the cylinder and a spring pressed, pivotally mounted, rubber covered wringer roll 36" which serves to squeeze of! the major portion of the water or solution clinging to the surface of the blanket. Various suitable constructions of washing devices may be employed for this purpose of applying solvents and washing compounds to the surface of the blanket, and for scrubbing and cleaning the same and thus removing the deposits that tend to accumulate on the blanket. This washing apparatus may be suitably modified for washing a back gray or other type of backing strip that may be used.

' The primary feature of this invention resides in a special apparatus and in the manner of drying the surplus moisture that remains on the j backing strip after it passes from .the washer.

This is accomplished by means of a blotter which contacts with the surface of the blanket and wipes or blots the remaining moisture therefrom. To this end, I provide a blotting strip 40 which may be made of suitable blotting or wiping material capable of removing water from the backing strip. The blotter may be a paper strip discarded after it has served its purpose. It may be a discontinuous cloth strip passed once through the blotting-zone and either dried or not and then stored for subsequent use. I preferably employ an endless strip 40, such as cloth, which passes progressively from the blotting one to a drying zone where water is removed. The drying operation may be accomplished by radiant heat, convection or conduction, such as by sub- Jecting the blotter to infra red, radiant heat, or a current of hot air passed over or through the fabric, or it may be dried in a heated chamber or by contact with a. heated surface. Any suitable drying apparatus may be used. In the drawing, I have shown the blotting strip as being dried by a set of heated drying drums 4|.

The blotter preferably contacts with that side of the blanket which will ultimately contact with the fabric in the printing zone. To this end, the endless blotting cloth 40 passes over the same guide rolls which carry the blanket it. (The two strips are shown separated for clarity of illustration.) The two pass together in close and extensive surface contact around roll 12 and then around an adjustable roll #33 which is mounted for applying a proper tension to the two strips, after which the two pass over a further roll dd to a. final roll where they separate, the endless blanket It going to the printing zone while the blotting cloth 40 returns toward the base of the machine where it passes around a roller ll and thence back to the drying drums :81 which remove from the blotting cloth the moisture that has been absorbed from the rubber blanket. It will be noted that the guide rolls are so arranged as to provide zigzag or stepped arrangement so that the blanket and the blotting cloth may be passed in surface contact for a considerable period of time but within a small space. This arrangement may be made as elaborate as required to give any desired lengtlroi' dryin time.

The adjustable pressure roll 43 may be mounted on slide 48 suitably carried on a slide way 48 and moved by means of the screw 50 which may be adjusted to give a required tension on the two bands and to hold them in a tight surface contact as they travel through the blotting zone. The wet blotting cloth then passes around a set of standard drying drums 4| which are steam heated and so arranged that the cloth may pass in an extensive surface contact over these drums and thus have the moisture removed therefrom. These drums may be driven by the electric motor I8 by means of a belt drive from the shaft carrying the pulley 52, and their speed is regulated by means of an expansion pulley 53. The blotting cloth may travel at substantially the same speed as that of the blanket or at a different speed, so as to give a. slight wiping action if desired. The endless blotting cloth may be held under suitable tension by means of a floating roll 54 held down by weights 5! adapted to apply tension to a loop of the blotting cloth. A suitable guiding apparatus 58. such as a Sperry guider and other types of spreader apparatus, may be employed to hold the blotting cloth spread out and in smooth condition for the required purpose. The 'fabric that has been printed may be passed over a set of steam heated drying drum 80, as shown above the printing press, and which may be of standard construction and need not be here described. These drums may be driven in proper synchronization with the printing press as by means of a power take-off from the motor 19. The fabric II is ultimately passed to the right hand end of the machine where it may be rolled up or pass through a set of swinging feed rolls 82 and be deposited as folds in a suitable receptacle 8!. a

According to the broad aspects of my invention, the backing strip ll may be made of various suitable, materials, such as wool or cotton cloth,

either as a back my cloth or as a blanket. '1 preferably use this backing strip as a blanket and without a back gray; In that case, the blanket is made preferably of rubber or a felt or canvas fabric coated withrubber or with wax or a suitable resin or other water repellant or waterproofing substance. The blanket is not intended .to absorb the ink or color as does a back gray, but it carries the color as a surface coating which may be readily removed by a simple washing operation.

It will now be appreciated that by means of 'this apparatus, I have made it possible to employ a short backing strip which may be driven endlessly through the printing zone and which may be washed-and dried continuously in a process which does not impair its qualities materially or hinder it in performing its required functions. This strip is not directly heated in an expensive drying operation, but it is dried at a low temperature. For example, any contact of a rubber blanket with hot drying drums would injure the rubber and cause it to become hard or crack or otherwise deteriorate. Likewise, it is held away from any other highly heated medium, such as the hot air of a steam heated chamber, that may however be safely used for drying the blotter. The water is wiped or blotted from the blanket and thus removed by the inexpensive and simplified procedure of capillary absorption. The heat that is required to remove the moisture is applied indirectly by means-of a transfer blotter made of material that'will readily stand the comparatively high temperature of steam heated drying drums or other drying devices. Hence the blanket is not injured by such an indirect heat and water transfer; nor, is the blanket hot when it reaches the printing zone. If dried directly at a high temperature, it might be necessary to provide a longer run to enable the blanket 'to cool before reaching the printer and this would involve prob-- lems of guiding the blanket and preventing it from misleading the fabric. It is feasible, however, for some types of installation that this blotting cloth carry a considerable the b anket; hence I may locate the drying drums or other heating apparatus quite close to the blotting zone, or I may shield the heated blotting cloth by means of confining walls or pass it through a heated space in its direct run toward the blotting zone. This arrangement, as herein defined, makes the blanket or other backing strip employed last a great many times longer than if it were dried directly. A rubber blanket will serve almost indefinitely and until it becomes worn out, whereas a back gray cloth, whether washed intermittently or continuously, will have only a comparatively short life. A printing machine is idle for long wasteful stretches of time where a short lived back gray is used. Since the blanket is dried at a low temperature, it is likewise feasible to have it carry a controlled degree of moisture to the printing zone.

It will now be understood that the above disclosure sets forth the principles of my invention and a preferred embodiment thereof; hence the appended claims are to be given their full force and meaning and are not to be limited thereby. lclaimz" 1. The method of printing a fabric comprising amount of heat to the steps of passing the fabric backing cylinders of a printing press'while backed .by a separate endless backing strip which receives the excess of color from theprinting operation, separating the strip from the printed fabric,

, washing the strip progressively at a point remote from the press to remove said color, progressively contacting an extensive surface of the washed strip simultaneously with a large surface area of a, blotting strip and blotting moisture from the washed strip and transporting it therefrom, and

returning the endless strip progressively to the printing zone for backinganother portion of the fabric passing betweensa'id cylinders.

2. The method of printing a fabric comprising the steps of passing the fabric progressively between-the printing and backing cylinders of'a printing machine while backed by a separate end-= less blanket having a water-proof surface in contact with the unprinted back of the fabric and arranged to receive the excess of color, separating the blanket from the fabric and passing it progressively to a washing zone at a point remote from said machine, there washing said surface of the blanket to removethe excess color, progressively contacting an extensive portion of the wet, washed surface of the blanket simultaneously with an extensive surface area of a fluid absorbent blotting strip and removing the washing fluid from the blanket surface substantially wholly by absorption, and returning the blanket progressively without heating it materially to back another portion of the fabric passingbetween said cylinders.

3. The method of printing a fabric comprising the steps of passing the fabric with an endless backing strip progressively through the printing zone formed cylinders of a printing machine and transferring excess color to said strip, separating the strip from the fabric and guiding it to a point remote from the cylinders, there progressively washing color from the blet, progressively so contacting said strip with an endless water absorbent fabric blotting strip and removing mois ture from the backing strip substantially wholly by absorption, separating the strips, progressively drying the blotting strip apart from the backso ing strip-and returning it for further water absorption, and progressively returning the backing strip without heating it materially to back another portion of the fabric passing through the printing zone. 5 4. A textile printing apparatus comprising printing and backing cylinders forming a printing zone, an endless backing strip, means for leading the fabric between the cylinders with its unprinted face in contact with said strip so that 3 the latter receives the excess of printing color, washing mechanism remote from said cylinders, means for leading the backing strip progressively to said mechanism to wash the color from said surface, a blotting strip, means for moving the tti blotting strip and the wet washed backing strip in a. simultaneous extensive surface contact so that washing fluid is removed from the backing strip substantially wholly 'by absorption, and means for progressively returning the backing to strip to the printing zone without materially heating it.

5. A textile printing apparatus comprising printing and backing cylinders forming a printing zone, an endless backing strip, means'for to leading the fabric between'the cylinders with its pmeressiralyg through the printing zone formed by printing and by the printing and backing unprinted back in contact with said strip so that the latter receives the excess of color, washing mechanism remote from said cylinders, means for leading the backing strip progressively to said mechanism to-wash the color from said surface, an endless blotting strip of water absorbent material, means for progressively contacting said blotting strip with the wet surface of the washed backing strip and removing washing fluid therefrom substantially wholly by absorption, means for progressively drying said blotting strip at a point remote from the blotting zone so as to renew its water absorption capacity and means for progressively returning the backing strip to the printing zone without heating the same materially.

6. A textile printing apparatus comprising printing and backing cylinders forming a printing zone, an endless blanket having a waterproof, color retaining surface, means for progressively leading the endless blanket with the fabric between the cylinders so that the blanket receives the excess of color, means for leading the blanket progressively to a remote washing zone, washing mechanism in said washing zone for removing color from the blanket surface, means for leading the blanket to a blotting zone, an endless fiuid absorptive strip in the blotting zone, means for progressively leading the strip and the wet blanket in the same direction with extensive surfaces of the blotting strip and the washed and .wet blanket in a blotting contact and removing washing fluid from the blanket surface, means for returning the blanket progressively to the printing zone and means remote from the blotting zone for progressively heating the blotting strip without heating the blanket and thereby renewing the absorptive capacity of the blotting strip.

7. A textile printing apparatus comprising printing and backing cylinders forming a printing zone, an endless blanket having a waterproof, color retaining surface, means for leading a fabric between the cylinders with said surface of the blanket arranged at its back to receive the excess of color, washing mechanism remote from said cylinders, means for leading the blanket progressively from the printing zone to said mechanism for removing the color from said blanket surface, an endless blotting strip of fabric, means for progressively leading the strip and the wet washed blanket in the same direction in an extensive surface contact in a blotting zone so that the strip absorbs washing fluid from the blanket, heated drying drums, remote from the blotting zone, means for leading the wet strip over the drums and drying it and progressively returning it to the blotting zone, and means for guiding the blanket from the blotting zone to the printing zone for a further printing operation.

ALBERT S. JONES. 

